Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV sets Nurburgring SUV record (video)

Following in the footsteps of its four-door sedan brother, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV has set the quickest-ever lap time around the Nurburgring for a production SUV.

The Stelvio QV, recently confirmed for Australia, is underpinned by the same Giorgio platform as the Giulia sedan. And in QV form (Quadrifoglio) it is powered by the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 375kW and 600Nm.

Alfa Romeo is obviously looking to re-establish itself as a brand that builds proper sporting vehicles, with the Giulia QV and now the Stelvio QV claiming Nurburgring lap records. This follows a long period of making pretty ordinary cars.

The record was achieved earlier this month, with a time of 7:51.7. This is around eight seconds quicker than the previous SUV record set by the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Behind the wheel was the same driver as the Giulia QV lap, Fabio Francia. Reid Bigland, head of Alfa Romeo, spoke about the achievement, saying:

“We specifically engineered and designed the Stelvio Quadrifoglio to set world-class benchmarks and it did not disappoint with a world-record Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds. We’re proud to now hold two Nurburgring lap time records with the Giulia Quadrifoglio as the fastest four-door production sedan and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio as the fastest production SUV.”

Alfa Romeo hasn’t mentioned what tyres were used during the record lap, however, the SUV was fitted with a roll cage for added safety. The roll cage may have added rigidity to the SUV compared with the production version.

Brett is the editor and founder of PerformanceDrive. He's obsessed with driving, having played with Matchbox cars until he was tall enough to drive a real one. After initially working as a mechanic, Brett earned a degree in journalism and entered media as an editorial assistant at Top Gear Australia magazine. He then worked at CarAdvice.com.au. His dream is to live next door to the Nurburgring in Germany.